Flipper
Sandy Ricks is sent by his mom to Coral Key, a rustic island in the Florida keys, to spend the summer with his uncle Porter Ricks. Sandy dislikes everything about his new environment until a new friend comes into his life, a dolphin named Flipper, that brings uncle and nephew together and leads Sandy on the summer adventure of a lifetime.
Critics Sentiment
Sandy encounters and befriends the escaped dolphin Flipper
Great hammerhead shark Scar threatens Sandy in the water
The film drops dramatically from the charming dolphin bonding to the unrealistic and jarring shark attack sequence that critics found particularly problematic.
Critics found Flipper to be harmless family entertainment elevated by beautiful underwater cinematography and the dolphin's natural charm, but hampered by predictable plotting and tonal inconsistencies. While Paul Hogan's performance and the environmental message received some praise, the film was generally viewed as a mediocre entry in the boy-and-his-animal genre that fails to reach the heights of Free Willy. The consensus was that it works adequately for young children but offers little for adult viewers beyond pleasant aquatic scenery.
Full cast
Elijah Wood
Sandy Ricks
Paul Hogan
Porter Ricks
Jonathan Banks
Dirk Moran
Robert Deacon
Bounty Fisherman #1
Chelsea Field
Cathy
Mary Jo Faraci
Sandy's Mom
Allison Bertolino
Sandy's Sister
Jessica Wesson
Kim
Jason Fuchs
Marvin
Mark Casella
Bounty Fisherman #2
Luke Halpin
Bounty Fisherman #3
Isaac Hayes
Sheriff Buck Cowan
Mal Jones
Russ
Louis Seeger Crume
Mr. Dunnahy
Ann Carey
Fisherman's Wife
Bill Kelley
Tommy
Lindsay Treco
Little Girl
Bill Nolan
Bartender
Crew
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